Wall construction.



No. 872,262. PATENTBD NOV. 26, 1907. E. W. STEELE & A. G. SHUSTER. WALL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.23,1907.

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EDGA it W. STEELE AND ANDY C. SHUSTER, OF EDNA, CALIFORNIA.

WALL CONSTRUCTIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Nov. 26, 1907.

Application filed January 23.1907- Serial No. 353.604.

into the end, of the cable aJpin or wedge D, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2.

The ends of each brick or block A are pro- United States, and residents oi' Edna, in the l vided with vertically disposed grooves A3,

county of San huis Obispo and State of California, have invented a new .and Improved Tall Construction, of which the `following is a vfull, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved wall construction of brick, concrete blocks or the like, bound in place by wire cables, to render the wall exceedingly strong and durable, and capable of withstanding the action of earthquakes or other forceful jars.

The invention consists ol novel features and parts and combinations of the same, which `will be more 'fully described hereinafter, and then 'pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts'fin all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view et the iinprovernent; Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation ol one end of the wall; Fig. 3 is a face view of the wall, part being broken out; Fig. 4 is a'pers ective view of one of the bricks or concrete ilocks, and Fig. 5 -is a longitudinal section of a modil'ied form of the improvement.

The bricks or blocks A for forming the Inain )o'rtion of the wall are laid in courses, joine in the usual manner and as indicated in the drawings. Each of the bricks or blocks A is provided on the top with a longitudinally cntondinggroove A', and a similar groove A2 is formed in the bottom of the brick or block, so that when the wall is formed and the courses are laid, then the grooves A', A3 in the opposite faces of successive courses arc in register with each other, thus forming longitudinally extending openings throughout the length ol the wall. Sundry of such openings in the wall are engaged by a cable B, fastened in place at its ends by suitable fastening means, such, for instance, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, each 'fastening device consisting essentially of a plate C abutting against the end of the wall and provided with an inwardly extending socket C' fitting into the end portion ot an the terminal of the B. Now the terminal of' the cable is by driving cable expanded within the socket C' A dinal top and bottoni grooves A', A2 shown in Fig. 1 and 4, and when the bricks or blocks are laid in courses then the end grooves in the viaces of adjacent bricks or blocks in a c kurse form a verticalV opening to one side of the top and bottom grooves A', A, either of which maycontain a cable B, as before explained.

Now in laying the bricks or blocks suitable binding material E, such as cement, mortar and the like, is used in the usual manner, and this binding material `lills the longitudinal o enings not occupied by the cables B and it a s`o fills the vertical openings formed by the registering end grooves A3 and At. Now when the binding material hardens it firmly binds .the vseveral bricks or blocks in4 place and holds the same against both longitudinal to the binding material forming pins tion the wall is greatly strengthened by the cables B held in position at their ends on the ends of the wall.

Instead of using the plates C as described, use maybe made of tie rods C2 ext-ending through eyes B' formed at thc ends of each cable as indicated inFig. 5; the tie rod CZ on each end of the wall engaging the corresponding eyes B' of the several cables B2, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig.l 5. The cables B, BZ and their tie plates C and tie rods C2 may also bcuscd in solid concrete walls instead of brick or block walls, as indi cated in Fig. 5. The cables used are preferably of the coreless type.

A wall constructed in the manner'described is exceedingly strong and durable, and capable of readily withstanding earthquakes and other forceful jars, besides the wall can be cheaply built, and the individual bricks or blocks can be readily and economically formed.

Having .thus described our,` invention, lwe claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A wall construction comprising building bricks or blocks laid in courses and provided at top and bottom with longitudinally extending grooves, the' grooves in the opposite faces of successive courses being'in reglocated on opposite sides of the longitu y ister to form lengthwise openings, spaced cables extending through sundry of the s'aid openings, means for holding the ends of the cables 1n place, and comprising plates each having-a socket engaginln end of acable, and a device for expan, g the end of the cable within said" socket, 'and a binding material fillingv the remaining lengthwise open ings.'

2. Av wall' construction comprising building blocks laid in courses4 and-provided at top and bottomwith longitudinal grooves,

Vofthe wall to the other'end thereof, a cable .the grooves in the opposite faces of successive courses being in register to form longitudinal openings extending from one `end extending through one of-the said openin s, and a fastening device for each end of t 1e cable, the said fastening device` having a plate resting against the end of the Wall, a socket integral on the plate and extending into the end of the groove and containing vthe. end of the cable, and an expanding pin "4. A Wall construction comprising build- I in ,bricks or blocks laid in courses and previ ed at top and bottom with longitudinal grooves, the grooves inthe opposite faces of 'successive courses being in register to form longitudinal openings extending from said end grooves.

and bottom grooves, and a vvertical groove at the other end located `at the ,opposite side of'said toV and bottom grooves, cable'sex-` tending t roughsundqr ofy the said lon i-,

one end of the 'Wall tothe other vend thereof, Y veach brick or block having a vertical groove at one end located :to one side of the said top tudinal openings,'means for fastening t e ends of the cables in place, and a binding material .between the colgses and filling the remaining vlor'lgitudinal L penings and. the

5. A wall construction comprising build in bricks or blocks laid' in courses and provi ed at top and bottom with centrally' arranged longitudinal grooves, the grooves i 1n the opposite faces of successive courses being 1n register to form longitudinal open- .f

ings extending from one end'of the Wall to the other end thereof, the ends of eachbrick or block having vertical opposite sides of the said top and bottom grooves and spaced an equal distance from the sides of the block, the grooves on the `opposite faces ofv adjacent bricks or blocks of a course being in registerto form vertical openings, cables extending through sundry o'f the said lengthwise openinffs, means for fastening the ends of the cabe'inplace in the wall, and a binding material in which the courses are laid, the binding material fi' ing the remaininglengthwise openings and the` said vertical openings.

In ,testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

`. 'EDGAR W. STEELE.

, AANDY C. SHUSTER.

Witnesses:

BELLE WILLIAMSON, PAcL M. GREGG. 

